Twitterpated
by Elkpelt the Wolf-Chalk
Summary: When girls become women, childhood friendships become much more awkward. ["Kion did not know when the seasons changed like they did, he just suddenly began to realize he was looking at her with a new kind of eyes… and it concerned him that he missed the memo that she suddenly became so distractedly attractive over the course of a fortnight."] /One-shot/ [Kion/Fuli]


**Author's Note: **I still ship this as hard as I did when _Return of the Roar _first aired in 2015. Fite me, send in the flames, I'm going down with this ship and turning it into a submarine. I saw the trailer for season 3 and it inspired me to write this little thing, pretty much awkward teenage hormones running rampage. Rated T just to be safe since there's a lot of blatant sexual references here haha. Please read and review, thanks ~ Maybe I'll make a sequel if there's a demand for it. Also, unBetaed, we die like true men.

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"About time you showed up, slowpoke." Fuli's voice held a catty grin, the young cheetah making her way across the threshold of trees. "I was starting to think you weren't gonna show up." The Fastest approached him with long deliberate strides, carrying herself with trademark spunk and confidence.

Something like intimidation came over him and the braveness he was meant to be known for suddenly fluttered away from him like the summer birds too quickly flown. A lump formed in his chest and when he finally dislodged it, he wondered why his heart rate picked up in its tempo.

_Heatstroke, its gotta be heatstroke, _he told himself with a hard swallow.

Kion stood there like his jaw broke from his face, unhinged and hanging. The sunlight stroked the soft fur of her pelt and made it look even more golden if they were even possible. The warm sunny highlights to her long legs and curves, the gentle sway of her tail and deep green of those eyes…

"Kion? You feeling okay?" She was in front of him now, peering at him with concern upon her spotted face.

Warmth surged his bones like lightning and overwhelmed he let out an undignified "_I gotta leave!" _and hauled his embarrassed hide off across the hills.

"Hey! We're supposed to go hunting! Kion?!" The confusion wrapped the words like a finely sealed present, Kion decided he would feel guilty later if it meant saving his dignity now. She was the forgiving sort if you groveled enough, surely he could make up for this some other time.

He hadn't spared her a single glance but he practically felt the flabbergasted look she shot at his retreating figure, like he suddenly sprouted stupid from every orfice of his body. If he been born with no fur, the deep red flush blossoming on his skin would have glared bright with its obviousness. Kion didn't stop running until he came across the watering hole, deciding in that moment some cool refreshing water would do him wonders of good.

A few animals taking a drink exchanged puzzled looks at the nervous energy the Fiercest radiated, Kion pushing his way to stand ankle deep in the cool water. He wiggled his toes in the sand and lowered his muzzle to the clear blue surface. He looked upon his reflection with something of a contemplative face, taking in the image staring back as the water rippled. Time had its way with him, that was for sure. The baby face was nearly gone now, Kion couldn't help but smirk idly when he remembered Kiara lamenting she would be cursed with such a thing until the days ends. His red mane sprouted down the back of his neck like fire, Kion wondered when soon he would sport a mane as large and luxurious as his father Simba.

He knew his outburst had confused Fuli, it wasn't like him to lose his cool like that. Kion didn't know what had come over him, he just knew he needed some space and air. It wasn't the hot savanna air doing it, even if the way his blood was burning like flame said otherwise. Going to meet up with his friends never surged up a reaction like it before, it was normal to go spend the day with Fuli, heck he saw her pretty much _everyday _due to their joint service under the Lion Guard. It was very odd when he didn't see her.

So why did seeing her today spark such an alien reaction and surge of feelings? Kion did not know when the seasons changed like they did, he just suddenly began to realize he was looking at her with a new kind of eyes… and it concerned him that he missed the memo that she suddenly became so distractedly attractive over the course of a fortnight.

It seemed the young ladies of the pride hadn't failed to notice his own changes either, even the arrogant and lofty Zuri took time to admire how much he'd grown. Though he'd politely declined the amorous approaches with a sheepish look. The traitorous part of his mind, the one that shan't be named, whispered a coo into his ear.

"_Perhaps Fuli has stolen her fair share of glimpses, eh?" _

Kion squashed the voice with a scowl.

"_Come now, it's only natural. The Circle of Life and all that, boys becoming men and girls becoming women…"_

He remembered the embarrassing talk Simba gave him when he'd first grown some hair on that head of his.

"_You might find as you get older your body will go through… __**changes. **__Girls won't seem so unbecoming anymore and… hmm, how do I put this, son? You see, when a lion and lioness fall in love they…" _Kion drowned the memory out by dunking his head surface deep into the water, hoping that perhaps he too could join the recollection in its demise if he stayed down there long enough.

"Ugh! There you are, I've been—What are you _doing?" _Something bit his tail with sharp teeth, making him jerk up in surprise. Whirling around as he clutched the hurt apentage, Kion was met with the glowering look of the last person he wanted to see. Fuli stood there, unamused by what was going on and frankly appeared peeved and perplexed.

The slope of her brows did wonders though to her face, he couldn't help but stare, suddenly intrigued by how she made such an expression curiously wonderful. _Focus, this is Fuli. Your friend, your teammate, stop ogling. _It was time to act like his title, to man up and grab that bull by its horns before it ran him to the ground.

"_You'd like to be ran to the ground though, wouldn't you?" _Yeah, abort mission. Kion shook his head and shot her a confused look, as if he didn't understand what she meant. In a way, he didn't in all honesty. He was confused and he would rather not disclose the details to his friend.

"I was getting a drink," he told her, gesturing with his head to the water, it caused his shaggy mane to jostle. It was damp and hung over his eyes slightly, Kion looking at Fuli through drooping bangs. Something was strange in the way her eyes lingered and before he could ask, she interrupted him in her usual cut throat fashion.

"A drink," she said in a flat voice, huffing. "Kion, lions don't drink like that."

"Who's the lion between the two of us? Maybe that's how we do things now," he stubbornly quipped, huffing air through his lighty clenched teeth. A lion always had its pride to lean on, both figuratively and literally.

The remaining beasts who'd been taking their time sipping water long since left as they felt the tension rising between the two arguing felines. Considering most of the populace consisted of cuisines both lion and cheetah would love to dine on, it was a good bet with tempers flying as they were. Kion soon realized they were alone here, with only the trees and grass to bare witness.

The unamused glance she shot his way spoke volumes of what she was feeling. Kion only knotted his eyebrows further, golden eyes boldly meeting her defiant stare. "What?"

"Kion, do you think I'm stupid?" She cocked her head and swished her long tail. His eyes idly watched it sway to and fro… back and forth. Was she still talking? He caught the end of it just barely it seemed. Crap. Directing his focus back on her face, he could tell he was dropping himself into a pit of despair. There was no way to really climb out, even if he kept flexing his claws in false hope to getting a grip of surface.

"What is going on with you today? We're supposed to go surveying. See the impala herd and grab something to eat, since you got your whole Rite of Passage coming… Seriously, don't you remember this?" She scraped a clawed paw across the dirt, the frustration clear. Fuli stood directly in his line of sight, even if that meant she had to get her paws wet due to the water. "Instead you just bolted off, care to explain?"

Kion opened his mouth to talk but closed it after, sighing out his dismay and annoyance. He'd rather not tell her any of this, he was confused by it as is. Fuli wasn't taking no for an answer though, instead she pointed her stare directly at his in a silent challenge.

_Try me, _it said.

"_I'll try you indeed," _Somehow that snake in the grass voice merged its way into his own thoughts. Before he could let the rational Kion butt its way into the affair, he impulsively leaned himself forward to push his nose against hers. He would take a page from his best friend Bunga's book, Zuka Zama and all that extra stuff.

He felt her startle in her surprise of the contact, the king cheetah nearly scrambling back with a grunt. Kion knew she was not one for touchy feely things and this was entirely out of line as this was _Fuli_ but somehow he couldn't find it in him to care. Kion eventually pulled away, the nose-to-nose 'kiss' as it were was brief, only moments long. His heart beat made it feel like it'd gone on much longer, Kion didn't want to meet her eyes though he was sure she was gawking at his audacity.

Well, he was the Fiercest for a reason. _Was, _because Fuli surely was going to flay him alive. There would be no more leader once she was through with him and that was okay. Least, that was what he told himself to try making the situation feel better than it was. Their foreheads were pressed together and Kion relished the soft feeling of her fur against his brow.

She pulled away from him like he was hot lava suddenly. Fuli stuttered the words from her useless tongue and Kion soon realized he'd _flustered _the usually so smooth and quick cheetah. He gathered the courage to look her in the eyes and saw now she was the one struggling to keep eye contact with him.

Feeling kind of smug, he arched a brow. "Is that wordy enough for you, Fuli?" He made that fast mouth of hers speechless.

Fuli scowled at him, the tips of her ears flushed red as they pinned themselves against her slender skull. "You _jerk!" _She replied with a bite to the words, making Kion flatten. "You can't just go and do that! What's wrong with you?"

Great Kings of the Past, did he wished he knew what was wrong with him. This was a bad habit, a really, super bad habit he was quickly developing because Spirits above did he want to do that thing again. Reigning in his self control as he should have from the beginning, he decided to apologize. But honestly the only regret he was feeling was that Fuli most likely didn't feel the spark he had when he'd joint their muzzles.

Then he scolded himself for that selfishness, he did feel bad for putting her on the spot like that. Now he was as bad as Zuri when she would purr like a clingy house cat against his side, if it made him uncomfortable it must be even worse for Fuli.

"It was out of line, I'm sorry," Kion told her with honesty, daring to meet her demanding stare with his own.

"Its fine… but when I said explain yourself, I meant… well, _talk," _Fuli replied with a shake of her head, trying to brush off the awkward cloud that had settled on them like heavy choking dust. Kion appreciated the effort since trying to breathe right now was nearly impossible.

"So um… Hakuna Matata?" Kion asked, hoping he hadn't just ruined one of the best friendships he had in his life. He made a move to edge himself around her but Fuli was not having it. She bloated his path out once more with her girth.

"Now hold on, just because I said I forgive you doesn't mean we are brushing this under the rock," she interjected sternly, frowning and lifting a paw to point it at his chest with one claw extended out. Kion stared at her with moony eyes, discomfort swelling in his chest at the integration.

"Okay, okay…" Kion trailed off, raising his own paw to try waving in a placating fashion. "Look, Fuli—"

"Don't just 'okay' me, Kion. Be honest, we're friends. You can trust me." The tone she picked up reminded him of when his mother was mad at him, not willing to be jerked around. She had cut him off. The way she put a hard edge to _trust _hurt him, Kion realized he wasn't putting enough faith in her like she did him. When he held his tongue, she continued, sitting on her haunches as if to add to the weight of the point. "I got all day."

"I _do _trust you," he argued in a low voice, meeting her eyes. The green there reflected sunlight, drawing his attention further. "It's just…" Fuli leaned forward as if to physically encourage him, making the young lion fidget. A warm breeze brushed through his fur, messing up his mane. He ran his paw through the red fur, musing it up as he tried articulating his thoughts properly.

Damned Circle of Life and its stupid baggage, if defending it meant suffering through puberty Scar and the Outlanders could have this spirits forsaken kingdom already. He knew he was being petty but for once could they let this golden child feel remotely selfish?

When he glanced back at her, he realized she had that weird look about her again. "Um… I hate to change the topic but are you okay, Fuli?"

Her eyes lingered on his forehead, more so the top of his head before it focused back onto him. "What?"

"You're kinda staring at me funny," he explained in a slow voice, feeling something dawn on him.

Oh.

"Am I?" She sounded pleasantly distracted, her gaze drifting about. Suddenly, those sharply shaped green eyes of hers jerked back to his face and she shifted her weight. Did she realize what she was doing? Why was he so satisfied with the way the words were murmured, as if he were the prime focus of whatever it was she was…

_Oh._

"Fuli…" A cheeky sort of grin tugged at the corners of his muzzle.

_Oh, _how the tables were turning in his favor so quickly. He was a strategist after all, leadership and that other important stuff called for it. Perhaps this was a playing field he could navigate as easily as he did in battle and solving natural disasters throughout the kingdom.

She seemed to sense what was coming and wearily she regarded him, critical of his advancements. "Kion…"

He realized he wasn't alone in this, it wasn't just him who hadn't noticed the changes between them. The fact that girls were becoming women, he was suddenly a boy turning into a man and that was beginning to have its effect on her too. Zuri and Tiifu weren't the only ones playing coy. Fuli had her own way and wiles with handling this, Kion could beat her at her own game. She was smart and fast but she didn't always see the entire picture.

The entire picture was shrouded by one step, he could lower his face once again and touch his muzzle to hers and savor the rush it gave. Fuli's eyes were hooded and suddenly a headyness he didn't know he could possess tried overtaking him again. In that moment, she clearly shared the sentiment despite her usual standish off nature. He knew her, she knew him… there was something here and it had been there for a while, he had only just realized everything was suddenly different.

Her eyes said it. _Try me. _

However… They were still on the doorstep between these two worlds, there would be a time in the future to explore whatever this _thing _was. In a fortnight they were growing up but for now they still had their youth. They didn't need to rush into anything neither were ready for, an adult world of passionate love affairs and flesh against flesh.

The sweet caress of twilight, as it were… even though right now it was a bright sunny afternoon day but he wouldn't digress.

"Tag! You're it!" He swatted his paw against her shoulder and briskly he raced passed her, leaving the cheetah staring at his retreating figure in complete bewilderment. That was not how she was imagining this discussion going and that was perfectly fine with him. It seemed to do the trick though, as he could hear her yelling at him from behind as savanna grass and umbrella trees flew by him.

"You're really pushing it today if you think you can outrun me!" Fuli hollered, leaping after him in what was practically a single bound.

"I'll take my chances!"


End file.
